Piers Torday
The last wild
A gritty, atmospheric survival story that feels more like a YA thriller than a standard middle-grade adventure; the prose is dense and rewarding for strong readers.
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Innocent Voyage
by Richard Hughes
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 850L · 1929
A classic coming-of-age adventure that feels dated in its prose but remains a powerful study of solitary resilience and nature.
The Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 820L · 2022
The original novella is denser and more philosophical than the Disney version — Kipling's Mowgli is resourceful and complicated, not innocent, and the animal mentors have real moral complexity.
The Lions' Run
by Sara Pennypacker
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 820L
Pennypacker writes a protagonist who is disabled without apology or inspiration-porn—the lions matter as much as the girl, and both demand respect.